Steal the Show
by 00BlackMagicWoman00
Summary: Bernadette is a young dancer that has caught the eye of a billionaire named Gustavo. The bad thing is, Gustavo is married. What will happen? Will there be a love triangle?
1. Night Club

Chapter I : Night Club

In France, there was a show at a famous night club. This night club was for rich people. The show girls here were all beautiful but the most popular of all was a girl named Bernadette Poesy. When she performed, the club was packed. She was famed to be the most beautiful girl in France. Tonight in the audience, there was a famous billionaire named Gustavo Emmanuel. He was there with his wife. He was an older man. Past his sixties. He was still rather handsome though. That came without question. When Bernadette came on stage, he was enchanted by her. He watched her performance almost without blinking. When she finished, she had her back arched backwards over a male dancer's knee with a rose in her teeth. She got up and bowed. She threw her rose in the crowd and Gustavo caught it. All the dancers on stage disappeared when the curtain went down. In the dressing room, another dancer said , " Hey, Bernadette, did you see Gustavo? The billionaire? He seemed to like you a lot. During your dancing, he didn't take his eyes off of you!"

"It wouldn't be the first time Clemence." Bernadette said

"Oh yeah? But that's Gustavo. The Gustavo!" she said

"So what? Hurry up, I want to go to the party." Bernadette said. They were wearing evening gowns and they went to mingle. When they were among the people, they were socialites. Men flocked around Bernadette. Some just wanted to get a good look and others wanted to get "friendly". Bernadette was used to the excessive attention. Bernadette was standing near the bar talking to three men, another dancer and sipping strawberry wine. She was wearing a long red dress with sequent on the sides. Gustavo watched her from the other side of the room. He was dying to see her up close, just to be in her presence. Suddenly his wife touched him on the arm and said, "Honey, why don't I got get this picture autographed by Bernadette? I want to congratulate her on her performance." she said.

"Oh, of course, let's go meet her." Gustavo said. He and his wife walked over to her. She smiled and said, "Gustavo, I am so honored to have someone like yourself in my audience."

"Oh but you performances are all so exquisite." he said. She couldn't help but to smile. After a long pause, Bernadette looked at Gustavo's wife and said, "Oh! Excuse me if I am stealing your husband!" she looked at Gustavo and said, "Please introduce me to this lovely woman! She's just standing here quiet and polite!" His wife laughed.

"Oh how rude of me. This is my wife Aurore Emmanuel." he said.

"Pleased to meet you Madame Emmanuel" Bernadette said.

"Like wise." Aurore said

"You are a lucky woman to have won the heart of Monsieur Emmanuel." Bernadette said.

"Oh. It isn't that hard really." She laughed. "All I had to do was bat my long eyelashes and he was smitten ever since." she said. She and Bernadette shared a laugh. Gustavo stood there, smiling and sipping his wine. "Oh dear, I almost forgot. Can I have your autograph on this picture?"

"Sure. I'll be happy to do so." Bernadette said with a smile. She got a Sharpie marker from the bartender and signed the picture. "There you go."

"Thank you very much." Aurore said. Bernadette smiled and took a sip of her wine. She put the glass on the bar counter and looked at Gustavo as he watched her every move. "Thank you Bernadette. I believe it is time for Gustavo and I to get home, I am quite tired." Aurore said

"So soon Aurore? The evening is still young!" Gustavo said. He was surprised at her sudden urge to leave. "Gustavo. I said I am ready to leave. Let's go." he said.

"Well Bernadette, it seems that we must make our exit. Thank you for the autograph and it was very nice to meet you, face to face. Not just on stage." Gustavo said as he took Bernadette's hand and kissed it lightly. "Good night." he said.

"Goodnight." she said. With that, Gustavo turned on his heel and left. Bernadette watched him leave. When he was out the door, Bernadette turned to the bartender and said "Felipe, give me a glass of Chianti please."

"Sure." he said as he got her a new glass and poured the Chianti.

"Thank you." she said.

"Eh, Bernadette?" Felipe said.

"Yeah?" she said as she sipped her drink

"You know, Gustavo's wife was angry because he's taken a liking to you." he said. Bernadette rolled her eyes and looked at him,

"Felipe, believe me, Clemence has already told me this. He only watched me because he liked my performance." she said.

"That's not the only thing he liked sweetie pie." he said

"You pig!" she yelled. She picked up her glass and went to mingle for a little longer. Afterwards, she was going home for the night.


	2. Trouble

Chapter II : Trouble

Bernadette was driven home by her chauffeur. When she got home, it was 1:42 am. She went to the kitchen and poured herself a tall glass of orange juice. She went to her room and took off her dress and her heels then she ran a tub of water. She took off the rest of her clothes and sank into the warm water.

Meanwhile, at the Emmanuel estate just outside of Paris, Aurore and Gustavo were in a heated argument. "Gustavo! I saw the way you looked at her, you like her admit it!" Aurore shouted in Gustavo's face.

"Aurore, why would I sit there and not look at her? She was a beautiful dancer! What else was I supposed to do?! Not pay attention?!" he yelled.

"That's not the only thing you were paying attention to!" she yelled. "I say you staring into her big brown eyes and I saw you look at her chest and…and…Well my point is, you know you did it and I don't appreciate it!" she yelled.

"What?! What do you think?! Do you think I imagine some type of fellatio? Exchange?" he yelled.

"That's what I know you imagine!!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Aurore, you are always too suspicious. I have been faithful to you for over thirty years now! Now, anytime you see a woman that gives me a second look or talks to me, you always think I am cheating on you! I can't even stay at work after hours, you think I'm screwing that girl Genevieve!" he shouted. "I am sick and tired of your stupid and ludicrous accusations! I….I'm leaving!" He shouted. He walked through the kitchen shouting at her as he snatched up the keys to his Bentley. He snatched some clothes and a suit out of their bedroom closet and then walked into the garage. He got into his Bentley and started it up. He began backing it out. "Gustavo! Gustavo! Please! Don't go!" Aurore screamed as she ran to the side of the car. "No, leave me be! I want to be away from you! You wretched witch!" he shouted. Then he sped out of the driveway. Aurore stood barefoot in the driveway and cried. "Damn that Bernadette Poesy." she said. She walked back into the house and fumed.

Meanwhile, Gustavo was in downtown Paris, he was going to check into a hotel and get the penthouse pad. When he arrived at the hotel, he checked into the room on the top floor. When he got into the room, he walked to the wall of windows and looked across the cityscape. He sighed and went to take a shower.

He thought about Bernadette and he knew that he liked her. He wanted to meet her again, but this time, he could stay as long as he wanted to because he wouldn't have his nagging wife to worry about. Tomorrow, he would be a free man. He would be able to do what he pleased. He sipped some Cognac and smiled. Even at his age, the thought of seeing Bernadette again made his heart flutter. He smiled again. He finished sipping his Cognac and went to bed early so he could wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed the next day.


	3. Freedom

Chapter III : Freedom

The next day, Bernadette got up at 10 am. She had a breakfast of fruit and cereal. She took a shower She put on a blue peasant sleeve top and white high waist palazzo pants. She put her hair in a French braid and decided to go shopping.

Meanwhile, Gustavo was putting on his white Armani suit and a white Trilby hat. He too was going shopping.

Ten hours later, Bernadette was finished shopping. Her chauffeur helped her carry her shopping bags up to her apartment. She struggled while unlocking her door. "Gaston, thank you for helping me." she said. Then she tipped him.

"Thank you" he said. " You have a good night" he said as he walked out the door. Bernadette hung up all her things because she had tried it all on already. Suddenly she heard a bark. "What the-" She heard it again. She walked into the living room and saw a pink cage. "What the hell?" she said as she bent to look in the cage. Inside the cage, she saw a black Standard Poodle puppy. "Oh my goodness!!" she exasperated. She opened the cage and let the puppy out. The puppy was wearing a collar and there was something attached to it. She took off the collar and opened the card.

_Dear Bernadette,_

_Please accept this puppy as a gift from me to you. This is not to win you over but to know that you are happy with me. I have given you the luxury of not having to potty train her and I have food bowls, food, a leash, a carrier and chew toys in the bag on her cage. Please enjoy her. Name her what you wish._

_Love, _

_Your Lover From Afar_

"Alright then. I guess you and I are best friends eh?" Bernadette said with a smile. The puppy barked happily. She took her outside and let her go to the bathroom. Then they came inside and prepared to leave. As Bernadette changed clothes, the little puppy sat on her bed and looked at her. As Bernadette put on mascara, she looked at the puppy and said, "What shall I call you? Oh! I know! Soleil! Perfect! It matches your personality perfectly." The little puppy barked happily. Bernadette smoothed out her black evening gown and picked up Soleil and put her in the black carrier that looked like a leather purse. Then she got the keys to her Maserati and left. She arrived at a popular casino and walked up to the front door. " Bonjour Bernadette, please, come right inside."

"Thank you." she said. She walked in and she went to the Bacarrat table and they started a new game. She dealt the cards.

Gustavo walked into the casino and went to the bar, "Hey! Gustavo! How have you been?" a man asked

"Oh, Alphonse, I would've never thought I'd see you here! I'm doing pretty good." Gustavo said as he shook hands with the man.

"Ah, I come because of the pretty ladies. You know me." Alphonse said with a sly smile. He took a sip of his Scotch. Then his eyes stretched,"Oh, you know that girl Bernadette Poesy? The dancer? She is here!" he said.

"Oh?" Gustavo said. He tried to sound disinterested.

"Last time I saw her, she was at the Baccarat table dealing the cards. She was winning." Alphonse said. "Say Gustavo, where's your wife? She's usually right there on your right arm." he said.

Gustavo to a large gulp of his wine and said, " After she and I went to see Bernadette perform live last night, she thought that I was fantasizing about Bernadette. We got into an argument and I volunteered to leave. And I have been staying in a hotel every since."

Alphonse laughed. "Gustavo, I have no idea how you have put up with that for thirty years. Why do you think I'm still a bachelor? It's because I want to be. Because I don't have time for a woman that gets mad anytime a woman looks at me." he said. They shared a hearty laugh. "Hey, hey, you and I should join that Baccarat game. You know you want to look at Bernadette in that sexy black dress she's in." Alphonse said.

"Hey, as long as my wife isn't around." Gustavo said with a sly smile. They went to the Baccarat table and sat down. Bernadette was there with a sleeping poodle in her lap. She looked at Gustavo and smiled,"It seems that our paths have crossed again, eh Gustavo?" she said.

"So it seems. This is my friend Alphonse."he said. She smiled at Alphonse.

"So, how much is on the table tonight?" Gustavo said.

" Two hundred thousand euros so far." Bernadette said. "Shall we start a new game?" she asked the other two players.

"Sure" one of them said. She started shuffling the cards again. They laughed and enjoyed each others company for the rest of the night.

Meanwhile, across the room, Aurore, Gustavo's wife was watching their every move. She was infuriated when she saw Gustavo put his arm around Bernadette's waist. She growled and left. "I will have my revenge." she muttered. She got into her Porsche and sped home.


	4. False Forgivness

Chapter IV : False Forgiveness

Gustavo, Alphonse and Bernadette left the casino late. They all left at the same time. They walked out the building laughing "Bernadette, we must do this again, real soon!" Gustavo said with a broad smile. They said as they waited for the valet drivers to bring their cars.

"Oh yes, you two are so much fun!" she said.

"Oh next time you two decide to get together, please call me, I am always willing to be in the presence of a pretty lady."Alphonse said. He kissed the back of Bernadette's hand. "Oh I am so flattered!" she said happily. Then they laughed again. Their cars arrived promptly from the valet parking lot. After wishing one another a good night, they left at the same time.

When Bernadette got home, she put her puppy to bed and and went to bathe.

Gustavo arrived at his hotel room and checked his cell phone for messages. He had a voice mail from Aurore. "Oh god" he muttered. He put it to his ear and listened.

_"Gustavo, please please come home. I forgive you. Let's put this all behind us. I'm begging you to please come back home."_

The message ended. Now, he hated he even looked at his cell phone. "Shit." he said. He started toying with his phone, he was pressing random buttons and he ended up in his phone book. Suddenly he froze.There, in his phone book was Bernadette's name and number along with a picture of him and her at the bar. He shook his head and swore not to erase it. He did set it on private so only he could view the contact. Tomorrow, he would have to go home. But, he still had not forgiven Aurore. He stayed up thinking long and hard.

Bernadette was sitting on her sofa eating a chocolate lava cake and watching the last 45 minutes of Casablanca. She was in her night gown. Suddenly, her apartment phone rang. She looked at the clock. "What the hell? It's 1:00am." She reached over the sofa arm and answered it. "Hello?"she said. There was silence. "Hello?"she said. There was more silence. When she was just about to hang up, a woman said, " I'm going to kill you." Bernadette gasped and slammed the phone down. Then she got up and ran to the door and locked it. She ran to every window and shut it. Then she went back to her TV room and called the police.

An Inspector arrived promptly. "Bonjour Ms.Poesy. My name is Inspector Bagot. I was the one that received your call."

"Yes. Just before I called you, someone called me and said 'I'm going to kill you."

"I see. Do you recognize the voice at all?" he said.

"No." she said

"Was it a man or a woman?"

"A woman." she said.

"Hm. The only thing we can do is put a tap on your phone line so that we know who is calling you."

"That is fine with me." she said

"Good. I will do that when I get back. Are you afraid to stay here alone?"

"No, I should be fine. Thankyou."

"Ok. I will have officers patrolling these areas to see if there is any suspicious activity. Oh, and I will tell the door man to call if there is anyone suspicious that comes in."he said. They walked to the door.

"Thankyou so much." she said. He walked out of the door.

"Oh, if you want to call directly to my desk about this or...anything else. Here is my card." he said.

"Ok thank you Inspector Bagot. Goodnight."she said with a smile. He smiled and left. She rolled her eyes and shut the door. Then she tried to get some sleep.

The next morning, Gustavo prepared to go back home. He threw all of his things in a small suitcase and checked out of the hotel. When the valet parker came back to him without a car and out of breath, Gustavo just looked at him. "What's the matter with you?" Gustavo asked.

"Sir, I am sorry but you will have to come see your car. It's bad, very bad." the boy said. He went to his manager and the three of them walked through the parking garage to Gustavo's car. When they got there, they saw a beaten Bentley with smashed windows, slashed tires, and beaten in all over and it was smoking as if someone poured acid all over it. "Who could've done this?!" Gustavo yelled.

" I dont know sir. I didn't have any suspicious characters enter here last night. We take turns watching the cameras so no one ever falls asleep on the job." the manager said.

"Someone had to miss something!" Gustavo said.

"We should call the police." the parking boy said."

"Oui, we should do it immediately." the manager said.

When the police arrived, the valet parkers and Gustavo were busy explaining while other employees continued to help people check out of the hotel. A tall woman wearing a dress, a boa, shades and a hat came to one of the inspectors and said, "My my, what happened here? It looks terrible."

"Yes, it seems people can no longer enjoy vacations anymore." the inspector said.

"Oui. Maybe that means they don't need them then." the woman said. Then she and two tall muscular men walked away. Gustavo had to get a limo to drive him home. When his limo arrived, he was just about to get in when he saw Bernadette. "Gustavo! What happened here?!" she asked.

"Someone destroyed my car." he said

"What?! That is terrible. I'm sorry to hear that. But it is awfully strange..." she said.

"What is strange?" he asked

"Well, last night, I received a terrible phone call. Someone threatened to kill me last night after I got home."

"Oh! Bernadette! I am so sorry." he said."But it is awfully strange. These two events happening within 24 hours."

"Oui." she said. "Where are you going?"

"I have to go home. Aurore said she wants me to come home. I am thinking that I should go now after all of this."

"Oui. I am thinking of skipping town for a few days." she said. Gustavo nodded. Then the tall woman that was in the parking garage walked by and bumped into Bernadette

"Excuse me." the woman said. Bernadette only looked at the odd looking trio walking down the sidewalk. "I will be going now Bernadette. I hope everything turns out okay." he kissed her hand and then looked at her. She hugged him,"Bye Gustavo. Good luck with Aurore"

"Oui. I hope we will get together again soon." he said. Then he got in the limo. Bernadette waved goodbye and looked across the street. The two men and the tall woman were staring at her from a bistro across the street. Bernadette turned and walked down the street.

Gustavo arrived at home. He went through the front door. "Aurore, I am home." he said.

"Hello Gustavo."Aurore said. She sounded cold and monotone. He saw her sitting in a comfortable chair looking at a magazine

"You would think that you would be happy to see me after I left for a few days." he said

" Gustavo, you tell me, why did you leave. To go see that girl Bernadette? I saw you with her you know." she said

"So what?" he said, " It isn't like I was screwing her." he said.

"Oh? You weren't? Well that surprises me! I thought for sure you would be screwing her after that game of Baccarat."

"Go to hell." he said.

"No! You go to hell!" she yelled. "I _thought _I could forgive you for what happened the other night! But no! You had to run off and see her again!!"

"I'm sorry but weren't you the one that sat there and accused me of all of those things the other night when I was innocent. I am not having any affair with that girl. She and I are only friends! Would you like me to leave again?"

"Fine! Go to your whore, see if I give a damn!" she yelled.

"That's fine! But this time, I will not come back." he shouted with the vigor of every bone in his body.

He actually startled Aurore and then, this time, he emptied almost all of his clothes into the limo and left. "Where would you like to go sir?" the driver asked.

"To the Eiffel Tower Town Homes." Gustavo said.


	5. Alone at Last

Chapter V: Alone At Last

When Gustavo arrived at his destination, he went inside and said to the doorman, "Is Bernadette Poesy in?" he said

"Why yes Monsieur Emmanuel. But due to recent events and the fact that she is a celebrity, we only have authorized visitors. I will phone her, hold on a moment." he said. He picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers then he said, "Ah yes Mademoiselle, you have Monsieur Gustavo Emmanuel here to see you." then he paused and said, "Oh yes, I will send him up right away."he said. Would you like for me to carry your things?"

"No I'm sure I'll manage" he said

"Ok. She is up on the top floor in the penthouse pad." the doorman said. Gustavo smiled and took the elevator. It seemed like the elevator took so long to get to the 20th floor. When he stepped out of the elevator, there was only one elaborate door in front of him. He knocked on it and Bernadette opened it promptly. "Gustavo!"she said. She let him in and said, "I take it that you and Aurore didn't get along too well." She said.

"I wasn't even in the house for twenty minutes before I left again. I have made up my mind that this time, I am not going back." he said.

"You're never going back? Ever?" She said as she sat next to him on the sofa.

"Never." he said. "I'm tired of that woman. I have come to realize that I haven't been happy with her for a while. And, I have come to realize that I don't need a dead body to weigh me down in the long run." he said. They chuckled together.

"So, are you going to file a divorce?" she asked

"Yes. As soon as possible." he said. Bernadette smiled.

"Well, shall we go out and have a night on the town?" she asked.

"Absolutely." he said. They went out to the casino to gamble and have a good time. They went to take their minds off of their previous problems.

Little did they know that they were being stalked. The tall woman and the two men from earlier that day had been stalking them since they met beside Gustavo's limo. They were hitmen.

"What do think? Do you think they are dating?" the woman said to one of the men from her place at the bar.

"It is hard to tell. What do you think Pierre?" he said to the other man.

"I don't know. But, that Bernadette is a fine woman. If only we could meet her under different circumstances" Pierre said.

"Pierre, you swine, we have to report to Aurore. Let's go, we've seen all we need to see here." they left the casino to go to the Emmanuel estate. Aurore was waiting anxiously for their report. The doorbell rang and she went to answer quickly. When she opened the door, it was the trio. "Ah, Madeline I trust that you have bought me great news." Aurore said.

"If you would like to call it that. Then yes." The tall woman said as she took a seat at the kitchen table the two men joined. "We saw them at that same casino but this time, they rode together. Oh and when he left here, he went straight to her apartment."

"He is staying with her?!" Aurore said.

"Yes. They didn't stay very long because about an hour later, they went to the casino so they haven't been there very long." Madeline said.

"Oh dear. It's worse than I thought."


End file.
